China Academy of Urban Planning & Design (CAUPD) is a scientific research institution directly under the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development of the People’s Republic of China, which is a national center for urban planning research, design and academic information. The Academy has Class-A qualification for urban-rural planning compilation, engineering design, survey and design of cultural relics protection projects, as well as Class-A qualification (Beijing company) for construction industry (construction engineering), Class-B qualification for surveying and mapping engineering; it is qualified to undertake overseas municipal engineering survey, consultation, design and supervision projects; it is certified by Beijing municipal government as a high-tech enterprise in Zhongguancun Science Park. The four main functions of CAUPD include provision of service to the country, formulating scientific research standards and norms, planning and design, social welfare and industry services.
CAUPD is qualified to grant the master’s degree in urban-rural planning as approved by the Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council, and is running a post-doctoral research program approved by the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of PRC. The Academy is affiliated unit of the Urban Planning Society of China, the National Committee of Experts on Famous Historic and Cultural Cities, while more than 20 secondary professional academic committees under the Urban Planning Society of China and the China Association of City Planning are affiliated with CAUPD; it is a member of China International Engineering Consulting Corporation (CIECC); it is designated by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development to provide technical support for national urban planning standards and norms, and the urban rail transit standards; it has undertaken the duties of four ministerial-level technical centers including urban transportation engineering technology, metro and light rail research, urban water resources, urban water quality monitoring (including the national laboratory for water quality monitoring). The Academy has established ties with relevant academic institutions in more than 20 countries and regions; it is a member of the International Federation for Housing and Planning, and is a registered consulting agency of the World Bank.
The Academy has more than 2,500 employees, of which 86% are professional technicians, including one academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, two national masters of engineering survey and design, 28 experts receiving special government allowance (nine in service), two engineering experts of the National Hundred, Thousand, Ten Thousand Talents Program, seven young and middle-aged experts with outstanding contribution, one national outstanding scientist and technologist. They have formed a scientific and technological talent pool for urban-rural planning with comprehensive specialties. Over the years, CAUPD has maintained healthy, coordinated and sustainable development by serving the national policy, serving the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, expanding operations, pursuing technical progress, seeking economic benefits, deepening reforms, party building, and developing spiritual civilization.
CAUPD has accomplished the tasks assigned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development with assiduous efforts, timely results, unique perspectives, informative data. Based on the practical experience accumulated over the years, CAUPD has created a complete and effective set of procedures and methods for design and research management. Especially in recent years, CAUPD has realized continuous developments in terms of scientific and technological progress, development of disciplines and specialties, cultivation of talents and technical means and equipment, and has made new breakthroughs through continuous innovation in concepts, technologies, and methodologies. Since 2000, the Academy has undertaken and completed more than 7,000 tasks including scientific research, planning and design, consulting, compliation of national and industry standards and norms. Due to its scientific research achievements, the Academy has won more than 80 national ministerial awards, more than 430 awards for excellent planning and design. At present, CAUPD’s business has covered all professional fields related to urban-rural planning research, design and consultation, as well as engineering fields such as architectural design and municipal engineering. It has carried out business all over the country,even ventured overseas planning, design, and consultation.
In recent years, the Academy has been acting on the important instructions of the CPC Central Committee and General Secretary Xi Jinping on urban-rural planning development management, continuously improving its ability to serve the central government and people’s governments of various regions, proving a large number of conference materials to support the 2015 Central Urban Work Conference, playing a leading role in the planning of Xiong’an New Area, the national spatial planning of the Yangtze River Delta Green Integrated Development Demonstration Zone,deeply involved in the planning of Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Chongqing and other municipalities. The Academy has taken the initiative in the post-disaster reconstruction of Wenchuan, Yushu, Zhouqu and Lushan, and also provided substantial assistance to Xinjiang, Tibet, Qinghai to support the border areas. CAUPD will continue to deepen reform, adopt realistic approach, pursue innovation, and strive to develop the Academya comprehensive consulting institute with international competitiveness, so as to play a more productive role in promoting the development of urban-rural planning in China, providing scientific guidance on urbanization and urban development, and creating a theoretical system of urban planning with Chinese characteristics!
